Page 41 - 2020 September 21 Elegant Embellishment the RenLu Colelction, Bonham NYC

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AN AMBER PLAQUE A WHITE JADE-MOUNTED SILVER BOX
10th-14th century Late Qing dynasty
The brilliant orange red amber carved with the Hehe twins standing The thin box of ruyi head outline, its exterior incised with pleasant
together under a broad lotus leaf. leafy flowers, the underside stamped ‘CHINA’, ‘STERLING’, and an
2 x 1 5/8in (5.1 x 4.2cm) undecipherable mark, the hinged cover mounted with a conforming
white jade plaque carved in openwork depicting flowers and long-
US$3,000 - 4,000 tailed birds flanking a double-happiness character above an auspicious
bat.
4 3/16in (10.6cm) wide
十至十四世紀 琥珀刻人物飾件一枚

For a lengthy discussion and numerous examples of the role of US$5,000 - 7,000
carved amber decorations in the Liao dynasty, see Emma Bunker et al
Adornment for the Body and Soul: Ancient Chinese Ornaments from 晚清 嵌雙喜白玉鎖如意銀盒一件
the Mengdiexuan Collection (Hong Kong: The Univ. Museum and Art
Gallery, 1999), pp. 152-201. Though most of the examples discussed
are of plants or animals, there is a figural group of demons reminiscent
of the present lot published as plate 193.

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